When businesses compete on price alone, it creates a race to the bottom. Margins shrink, quality suffers, and enthusiasm fades. Visitors start to see a place as “cheap” rather than “worthwhile” — and that reputation is hard to shake.
The truth is simple: cheap attracts cheap. Visitors who come only for low prices rarely stay long, rarely spend widely, and often leave behind rubbish or poor-spirited reviews if something doesn’t go their way.
Why It Happens
Price–Quality Bias – people assume low price = low quality.
Signalling – your price sends a message about your offer and, collectively, about the town.
Self-Selection – discounting attracts a different type of visitor: short-stay, low-spend, high-complaint.
Minimum Differentiation – when businesses copy each other and compete only on price, the town loses variety and character.
This is not the path we want for Lynton & Lynmouth.
The Visitor Lens
Visitors don’t just see one business, they see the whole town. If too many of us send a “cheap” signal, the destination itself is judged that way. We’ve all seen seaside towns where this cycle has taken hold: identikit offers, empty shops, poor reviews, and a reputation that drags everyone down.
Better, Not Busier
Our strength is in Critical Mass, remembered as PIE:
Plenty to do – cafés, shops, pubs, attractions, walks, experiences.
Interesting variety – different, complementary offers.
Everyone benefits – visitors stay longer, spend more, and prosperity is shared.
That’s what creates a thriving destination — not bargain-hunting.
Price with Confidence
This isn’t about pricing yourself out of the game. It’s about pricing with confidence — making sure your prices reflect the quality of what you offer. Too low, and you attract the wrong crowd. Too high, and you risk putting off good visitors. The balance comes from value, not just numbers.
Because visitors aren’t chasing cheap — they’re chasing worth it. A product with a story, a dish with local flavour, or an experience they can’t get elsewhere makes them glad to pay fairly.
When the town as a whole delivers quality and variety, visitors see the value. They stay longer, spend more widely, and tell a positive story when they leave.
The Choice
We don’t want to be in a race to the bottom. We want to stand out for being Better, not Busier.
Cheap attracts cheap.
Quality attracts quality.
And together, we choose the latter.
